


Generation why

by A_Captain_of_mine



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Empire Siblings - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, Fluff, Gay Panic, M/M, Snark, Useless Lesbians, asshole friends, i think, nah we die like mne, profreading?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26036863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Captain_of_mine/pseuds/A_Captain_of_mine
Summary: New figures start to rise after the fall of the Cerberus Assembly to fill the vacant spots.Essek did not think he could fill one of those spots but someone does.
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Fjord/Jester Lavorre
Comments: 1
Kudos: 49





	1. Archmage of Antiquity

**Author's Note:**

> Well first chapter is done so.....enjoy. i hope?

In his time as Sadowhand to Leylas Kryn, Essek hadn’t really been outside of the Dynasty except for rare occasions with his father as a youngling. So his seven months stay of being in an unknown country that was the opposite of his own had him pleasantly surprised. Essek had not thought there would have been as much of a difference between Tal’Dorei and his home Rosohna. Sure there was an obvious political game in play at the Capital but where isn't there? Still, he had expected the same cunning, uptight and tight lipped aristocrats like the ones in Den Thelyss. 

What did greet him was a warm and a hearty welcome from a small part of the Tal’Dorei Council. A somewhat familiar face welcomed him to Emon, the Master of Arcana, Allura and by her side an intimidating hafling who bore a great scar across her face. The feeling of fear and unusual comfort came over him the longer he was around the darker woman, that had likewise happened when he spent time with Yasha for the first few times. A dangerous enemy but a valuable all… no, a valuable  _ friend _ .

A loud bell rang, stopping his thinking of his time in Tal’dorei and signaling that noon was here, and about the time that Essek went on about his day. He finishes his morning tea and puts on his newly made Cerberus Assembly robes. The clothes are a near perfect replica of his Kryn robes, only a darker purple and still holding the silver clasps and linings like his old garments. Taking a quick look in the floor length mirror he had commissioned, one can't be above a little vanity. He straightens every wrinkle and deems himself ready for his first day in the Empire in a long time. 

As he exits his townhouse, Essek makes a few well practiced hand signals that leave small geometric shapes in their wake and begins hovering a few inches off the ground. Deciding on taking the long way out of the Tri Spier to his destination, he starts gliding surely on his way. 

‘ _ Head held high and not a limp insight.’ _

Realizing that he hadn’t really been able to see what the Dwendalian Empire was made up of before the new Archmage of Diplomatic Union sent him off to a new world. His eyes drift up and around him taking in his surroundings. The houses that take to the sky inside the Tri Spier are simple, well made and some of them make him think of elven houses, if only by the carvings and their height in some sense. A long shadow takes up the street that Essek is coming up on; the Sauber Spire rises up at the base of the dark shadow. Looking on, he notes that is perhaps the only one of the three towers that is of elven make. He has a hunch that Da’leth was probably the one to commission this tower, probably holding on to the world he left behind, when deciding where to put the schooling of new mages in the Zadash. 

As he nears the gates between the Pentamarked and the Tri Spire he starts to glide with a purpose down the short distance to the corner to the Archive of the Cobalt Soul. The square where the Archive sits is now a bustling blue sea of monks all doing something to make themself useful to the new keeper of the enormous library. Different scrolls, books, and maps of all sizes are laid across what seems like hundreds of tables in what seems like an organized system of classification. Making his way through the open square and dancing between the hoard of desks. On his way to the entrance he sees a young kid in sky blue monk robes looking like the ground would swallow him whole in boredom. Essek quickly changes his plan, he goes to the kid, grabs his arm and begins walking him to the open doors. In the short time it takes the two of them to get inside the entrance hall, Essek drops his hold on the boy and voices his request. 

‘‘Would you go and find the Archmage of Antiquity for me? Oh, and do hurry.’’

Any protests the kid had died in his throat as he gapes up at Essek, his eyes wide and he nods his head in quick and rapid succession, ‘‘Holy shit you're the… the one with… fwoosh!’’ The kid waves his arms up in the air, ‘‘You also did the… the… swooshh!’’ the small arms shoot down in a big motion that nearly hits Essek.

“Yes, I’m,” Esssk begins to say and looks down at two emerald eyes eagerly waiting for his response, “I'm the… swoosh guy. Can you go now?” He sighs and arches a fine silver eyebrow in question.

“Yes sir! I’ll be right back sir!” 

He runs down one of the extensive halls and reaches a winding staircase. Essek chuckles lightly to himself as the boy takes two stairs at a time in his hurry. Seeing as it might take a while before the woman in question comes down to see him so it wouldn't hurt to look around for a bit. Seeing that the front hall and it's many aisles are mostly empty of any reading material, Essek takes the liberty of wandering about for a bit. It doesn't take him long before he finds a somewhat full bookshelf that he finds promising. A copper plate nailed to the top of the shelf has ‘ _ Dwendalian alcohol’  _ carved in it. A surprised sound comes from Essek and he picks up one of the heavier books on the shelf and settles in one of the empty chairs that are all around him. It's not like he could use a table 

“Vodka, Whiskey and Vine. How about that,” Essek reads out loud to himself, “haven’t seen a book like this before.” Opening the book he ends up on a spread about tree vine of all things. Interestingly enough Essek maneges to read three chapters telling him how to preserve tree juices and brewing them into vine. Reading in the small chaos that is Cobalt Soul is relaxing. The sounds of pupils arguing with a teacher, patter of feet going in and out of the building and soft echoes of grunts and falls from training. He looks up from his reading and glances to his right, just a few feet down from him are two kids, can’t be older than fourteen bickering with each other. After fifteen minutes of reading and observing he hears quicker than needed footfalls coming his way. 

The boy comes running to while calling to him “Sir! I got her like you asked. I have to go now, bye sir! Nice meeting you!” Essek gets only a glimpse of the small blue streak that zips by him until it’s gone out the entrance. Again he hears footsteps with an air of confidence and arrogance that only she could have. Essek fixes his gaze on the woman that walks straight to him. 

“It is good to see you again,” He greets her and raises his voice a bit, ”now as the Archmage of Antiquity and keeper of the Cobalt Soul Archive in Zadash.” Essek inclines is head in acknowledgment.

Wearing the same colors as him but in clothes tailored perfectly to her lean body. Whereas he simply wears it as it came, she has switched out the pants for one of her own, the top is short and tight highlighting a scarred torso. She dons a lightweight coat, that’s a rich purple color with the sleeves torn off it so her arms are displayed for all to see. Her long hair is in a tight braid that seems to have seen better days but still holds up well. In her right hand she clasps a heavy staff with a bow tightly strung and fastened on the end of it. A deep blue bow that’s the only indicator of who she really is.

“What’s up dipshit,” is the answer he gets from a grinning Beauregard Lionett.


	2. Archmage of Diplomatic Union

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly i wasnt expecting myself to write more.
> 
> but! enjoy

‘‘I’m good Beauregard, how have your days been?’’ Essek inquiers, hoping to get a feel of the atmosphere that's constantly changing. 

It was like she had been waiting for someone all day to ask her something of that sort. Essek knew that she was one of the more talkative friends he had and not afraid to say what she wanted to say. ‘‘They have been fucking exhausting man! I'm around people all day and all they want is help, can they not do it themself for once.’’ 

‘‘Well one would say that it comes with the job,’’ Essek remarks to her with a slight sarcastic drawl. He himself knew how draining it could be to be around people day in and day out. Still, he would sometimes just disappear when he had enough of socialization. ‘‘Can't you just turn them away?’’ he questions, ‘‘You are the highest authority around here.’’

She walks a bit from him and waves her hand in a calling gesture. Essek follows her as she grabs two chairs and takes one of them for her own. ‘‘Sit down you floater,’’ she commands him, ‘‘I know that I could just say no to them. But it's like, when they come they also compliment me and I won’t turn down compliments. And it's usually kids, like the one you just sent, and they just want to talk. I get that. I could have used someone to talk to in my first years here.’’

Essek is taken aback by the small bit of information she just gave him and the vulnerability in her voice. In their travels together she never gave him an inch of details from her life before the Nein. Their friendship was made up of little compliments hidden in bigger insults. She had once told him that she was glad he went with them, then she said he still was a little shit and had to prove that he wouldn't leave them. This had been after a particularly gruesome battle. Blame it on the adrenalin and the aftermath of the fighting high or not, he still took it as some  likeness of approval. 

‘‘Well,’’ he began to respond to her, ‘‘if you want I could be of assistance. Maybe help set up a system so you wouldn't have to talk to everyone?’’

‘‘Nah, it's okay. Can't be looking like I'm slacking on the job.’’

Essek makes an affirmative humm and drops the subject. They just sit together in the sounds of the Cobalt Soul, something both of them have apparently found solace in. The few minutes that it's just them, Essek takes Beauregard in, she has the feeling of a person who is tired but won't go for help. Tired but satisfied. All seven of them are like that, independent and unlikely to request a helping hand. They still jump to help others and give it their all if they have a mission they care about or is important to one of them in one way or another. 

‘‘So, err… were you gonna sit here and read some more or can we go?’’ She asks after a short while and stands up abruptly. ‘‘Because we do have visitors coming soon, we will have to travel together like right after they come. Can't really do that without you, ya know.’’ 

Essek follows her lead a few seconds later and nods his head, making Bauregard start walking with a brisk pace. Trailing after her, he once again takes in the architecture and the sky high halls and the never ending ocean of bookshelves, mostly empty. Catching sharp movement from the monk as she takes a right turn down a narrow staircase. It steers them deeper into the library. The bulky walls and simple designs that litterted the upstairs is slowly changing and gets notably holier from what he can tell. The last steps before a door greets them come quickly enough.

Bauregard sticks a hand inside her coat and fishes up a keychain with too many damn keys on it in Essek's opinion. 

She sees the look of minor upset on Esseks face, ‘‘Oi! Fack’s with the face man. These little fuckers’’ the keys fly to his face and rattle loudly as Beauregard continues, ‘’come with the job. Didn't you have to carry keys as Showdowhand? You pranced all around the Dynasty without any one in your way.’’ 

Cocking his head to the side a bit, Essek squints his eyes at her comment and takes a few steps towards her. When coming face to face with her, their eyes are almost level to one another, ‘‘I don't need  _ keys  _ to get where I want.’’ Essek lifts up his right hand and gives her a perfect view of his hand. Putting his pinky finger and ring finger down slightly, a dark mist surrounds the others. In a sharp and minute movement he places the rest of his fingers together and pulls his arm back softly. The darkness that previously was in the air disappears and they hear a soft creaking sound. Beauregard turns swiftly and watches as the previously closed door opens fully. Turning her head so Essek can only see her side profile, he allows the corners of his mouth to curl up in a grin. 

‘‘I can go wherever I want.’’

‘‘Tch,’’ Beauregard advances into the room on the other side and mutters something inaudible. She walks further inside. Essek passes the threshold and is greeted with a long and spacious stone staircase that's been carved out of the walls that make up the circular room. Seeing as Beauregard has no intentions of stopping he steadily follows her down the stairs. They make their way downwards, he regards the ledge where the stairs end and sees the bottom of the space about 100 feet from where they are. Glancing up and back from where they entered he notices steps that lead to a heavy wooden trapdoor. ‘‘Beauregard, if I may, where does that lacht lead too?’’

She barely gives the question a thought before answering, ‘‘My chambers. Apparently, given my new job I'm somewhat important. Can’t have an archmage die if there is an ambush or something. So, they stuck me there where the nearest exit is, like they expect me to not go fight if anything happens to the temple.’’ Her tone as she explains this is frustrated like she has had this conversation before. 

Essek hums in affirmation, they let silence settle around them and go uninterrupted to their destination at the foot of the stairs. When there he sees a familiar symbol in the middle of the room and he can just feel the soft dust that the chalk leaves after use on his fingers. The teleportation circle that catches his attention is one he has only once seen before but has not used himself. He proceeds to take a few gliding movements and approach the circle, he stops his concentracion of his spell and drops to the ground. His curiosity gets the better of him, crouching down and swiping his fingers over one of the lines. Bringing the fingers up to his face and when no trace of the chalk comes up he is terribly disappointed.

Beauregard chimes up behind him, ‘‘We have a stasis charm on it, it’s recast every day and remade if it gets broken. One of the many precautions made for my safety. Whatever that means. Ya know, he made the same face when the chalk didn't come off the stone. Don't you do the same in the east?’’ 

‘‘No, we don’t. We are taught that magic is more effective if all the components are fresh as they can be. So there isn't a stasis charm on it. The guards you meet each time you come to the palace are wizards as well - they are tasked with reapplying it after every single teleport. Simple as that and more powerful, no offence to your mages.’’ Getting up from his crouch, Essek straightens up and walks up to her where she's leaning up against the wall. ‘‘When is the rest of coming?’’

‘‘Well, two of them are taking a teleport here and then you'll take us to the meeting spot. They should be arriving soon. Shall we?’’ She gestures to a door right across from them, it has ‘ _ Port Damali’  _ engraved on an iron plate and stuck in the middle of the door. ‘‘Don't use magic to open it, there are wards on the doors that give off an alert. Just don’t. Unless you want to be shot.’’ Beauregard has the packed keychain ready and fishes out a long, iron key that's intricately carved. Despite his limited knowledge of gods outside of the Dynasty, Essek can still make out that one of the symbols of Ioun is the key. 

The seamingly heavy door is easily opened by Beaurgard's arms, which undoubtedly trained under worse conditions. The room they walk in is a smaller equal to the one they just vacated, a circular room with a detailed teleportation circle. Warm lights illuminate the chamber and in turn give light to carvings in the round walls. Carvings that contain a detailed map of Port Damali and the country near the unofficial capital of the Clovis Concord. 

‘‘Beauregard.’’

‘‘Yes, Essek?’’

‘‘One last question before the silence goes.’’

‘‘Sure, you can ask but an answer is highly unlikely.’’

‘‘Why did you decide to keep the ‘archmage’ titles?’’

Her brows furrow in vexation at his query, ‘‘It was a…well it wasn't a group decision that's for sure.’’ The tone of her voice tells him that she won’t go on and elaborate further. He sees that she is resting up against the wall and goes to her, standing just a few feet from her. Huffing she blows a lock of hair from her face, making her seem younger than she holds herself. 

‘‘They should be coming through soon. Told them to come an hour earlier than necessary just to make sure they actually came on time. First time I met both of them, we had decided to go up to Trostenwald, and I waited for the pair for two-fucking-hours before they showed up.’’ She throws her arms up in a frustrated move but it loses its movement before it becomes too aggressive. ‘‘Do you know what they were doing?’’ she asks him yet doesn't give him time to answer. ‘’They went and bought pastries for fucks sake. And they were for me! Can you believe it?’’

‘‘Yes, yes I can quite vividly in fact.’’ 

The ground in front of them begins shimmering softly and grows brighter in rapid succession. Then two figures emerge from the glow, the taller of them looking at his companion as she talks in a hurried voice about anything that caught her attention. When the light slowly goes down the talking stops, two glittering sapphires look up and see the two of them resting against the wall. 

‘‘Oh, Essek! I had no idea that you would be here.’’ She exclaims in one of her higher tones, ‘‘Why didn't you tell me Beau? I would have brought him a cupcake. I've been practicing, and I'm getting  _ pretty  _ good at it. Don’tcha agree Fjord?’’ The tall man beside her looks at Essek dead in the eyes and gives him a shake of his head, a warning. 

‘‘Jessie, darling. 'I have never eaten anything better,' is probably what I would say to you but you don't like lying.’’ Fjord remarks and walks past Jester and ignores her squawk of offence. He goes towards them, stopping just in front of Beauregard, “It’s good to see you. We need to have these meetings more frequently, can’t really be looked at like a whole if we are all in different spots of the continent.”

“Yeah, yeah put in on the itinerary, captain. God forbid we actually get anything done on the list.” She is quick to retort back to him and pushes past him to greet Jester properly. Soon enough the two are in deep hushed conversation. The two women walk out of the room and enter the bigger chamber for some privacy while Essek and Fjord take their time going after them. 

Essek turns to Fjord, who gives him a critical eye before his tough guy persona slips off him. A soft smile creeps up his face and sharp but small tusks teeth let themselves be known. “Essek! How did your trip go, what did you think of Tal’Dorei?”

“Well I’m sure you already know how it went seeing as you sent me there.” Fjord has at least the decency to look somewhat taken back by Esseks response. “As for how I liked it was  _ fine.  _ I have some notes I’d like to discuss with you. If you have time after your meeting? And perhaps-”

“Of course. You know Essek, you are always welcome to sit and lend me a second opinion on what is going on the table at the meetings. More so now than ever, practically because you missed out on so many. I will take responsibility for that oversight.” Fjord surely drowns out any kind of comment Essek had on his tongue. 

“Always the diplomat.” Essek declares, “Couldn’t have picked a better person for the job then, could they? You are much better at it than your predecessor, Lord Uludan was it? I think I’m not mistaken.” Essek knows he has the right man, he met him enough times to see his incompetence and cowardness to act in the Empires favor.

“Beauregard,” Essek raises his voice a bit, “are we going now?”

“Sure why not, not like we have anywhere else to be.” 

It’s all the confirmation Essek needs. Repeating what he had done just moments earlier, he walks to the teleportation circle and places his hand on one of the many lines making up the circle. Soft words that he knows by heart make the floor flare as he turns his head to the three figures waiting for his signal.

“Go,” is all he needs to say and Jester wastes no time. Taking Beauregards hand and dragging the pair of them straight through the light.

Facing Fjord for the last seconds of the spell he voices his congratulations to him for the first time. “Fjord Stone, the new Archmage of Diplomatic Union. Has a nice ring to it.” Is all he can say before they are eaten by the glow and sent to their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the kudos on the first chapter!  
> did not think anyone would read this  
> so thanks ♥☜(◐ω◐|


End file.
